My 5 Autumn Favourites

- This post is a PR collaboration.

We are now well into Autumn and you can feel the change in the season wherever you go. The trees surrounding our home are now warm oranges, yellows and reds, the leaves are falling, and the drop in temperature is notable - we can now see our own breath! It's a reminder of how much I adore the season and I thought I would document my 5 autumn favourites.

1. Little Lord & Lady Clothing

I've been following Little Lord & Lady for years, in utter awe, and Noah and Ava are now ambassadors for the brand. They were recently sent various pieces from their new A/W range to try out and for me to photograph and share on social media. I'm blown away by it all, everything is stunning. Their garments are so sophisticated and luxurious, ideal for any occasion and special ones too.

2. Houseplants, DIY & new decor
I know, I know - the home renovation is still ongoing! We are almost there but it's now all about tweaking a few little things and updating some decor. My living room is my favourite room in the house, with it's neutral grey theme, with pops of colour from various houseplants I've bought recently - it makes me feel relaxed and at ease. In our dining room I am looking at swapping the carpet for Engineered Wood Flooring as it will be easier to maintain and will look more effective too. I also want to add a little brew station and any of these neon coffee signs would look amazing above it on the wall.

3. My slow cooker
I'll admit it. I'm one of those people who cracks out the crockpot at the slightest bit of cold weather and make half a dozen casseroles a week. It's so easy to set it up in the morning with whatever ingredients I please and 99% of the time it comes out delicious. Our current favourite is beef bourguignon with warm, crusty bread. Casseroles are a great way to get hidden veggies/nutrients into kids, which is even more important this time of year.

4. Conker picking & pumpkin carving
It wouldn't be Autumn, or October without a spot of conker picking and numerous pumpkins to carve. Noah and Ava love to explore and get messy while enjoying the outdoors so I've brought the pumpkins outside this year. We've put all the pumpkin seeds to one side, ready to take on our next walk to feed to the birds and squirrels.

5. Planning family outings 

October, through to December is always a busy time for us and we wouldn't have it any other way. We have Noah's 6th birthday coming up, as well as Halloween, Bonfire Night, WWE, Marvel Live, Butlins, and so much more. I'm so excited for the last few months of 2019.

What are your Autumn favourites?

Autumn Activities For Children

Autumn officially began on the 22nd of September but you could be lead to believe that it had started a few weeks ago. You can see and feel the change in the seasons as the mornings are becoming darker and the days becoming shorter. You can feel the chill in the air, the colour of the landscape is beginning to change and the leaves are starting to fall from the tree's.

On the whole, I love Autumn. I enjoy the long family walks, the hot chocolates to warm ourselves up, the cosy evenings on the sofa and warm, hearty meals. Having said that, I'm not a fan of the darker evenings that come hand in hand with the season. On that note I thought I'd put together a post all about my favourite Autumnal activities to do with the kids, perfect for the weather we are about to have and also for the next half term too. 

Family walks
Now this is a family activity that we enjoy to do all year round but there's something special about walking in Autumn. I don't know if it's because you're able to wrap up all cosy and warm in your knitwear and  or the fact that your surroundings start to look so much more different, or maybe it's because you know Christmas isn't far off? Who knows, I do know that it is one of our favourite things to do as a family. Speaking of footwear, I really need to invest in some new walking shoes for Nick, Noah and I as we are always out and about, no matter the weather. Engelbert Strauss footwear offer weatherproof shoes for all the family, shoes that last and we really need all weather and heard wearing shoes living in this country.

Pumpkin picking
This was something we did for the first time last year, when Ava was still in my tummy. We drove out to a local pumpkin patch and strolled around looking for pumpkins to take home. Nick and I chose two huge pumpkins and Noah opted for a little misshapen one which had quite a lot of character! When we got home we carved them in Noah's chosen designs of Bing Bunny and Batman! We enjoyed it so much that we plan on doing it every year and hopefully it will turn into a new family tradition.

Nature hunts
This is a great activity that can be done at any time and in any weather. You can make an afternoon out of it or a quick half an hour depending on how many items you want to add to your list and how hard the items are to find. We usually grab a bit of card and a pen for our list but you can go all out and print off photo's to use so the little ones are able to visualise what they are looking for rather than you having to read it out to them. Even if you don't live in a very rural area, you can still jot down things which you know you'll come across. We like to bring home some of the items we find on our nature hunt so then we can make arts and crafts with them at a later date, another activity there to add to the list.

What activities do you like to do in Autumn?

Autumn days

Becoming a parent doesn't just change your life forever but it changes you as a person forever too. You don't realise how much so until you have your first child, it's simply indescribable. You experience amazing and humbling moments on a daily basis and I could sit here all night listing them. 

Something I have noticed lately is how you begin to appreciate and notice the little things in life again. The parts of life that had just turned into white noise, the parts you just pass by. 

The three of us recently went on a walk around our local park. After our stroll I took Noah out of his pram and sat him under a large oak tree. He sat there with a big grin on his face, studying every inch of that tree. You could see the wonder in his eyes as he seemed to take everything in. He would kick his legs through all of the fallen Autumnal leaves and pick them up and scrunch them in his hands. Nick and I just sat there with smiles on our faces and our hearts filled with love. Ordinary moments like this are simply magical.